Help Me Out

Hi, I am fairly new to cakes and I have a slew of questions. Please answer any that you can.

1. Is it cheaper to make cakes from scratch or buy them boxed? I read on a thread on this forum that it's cheaper from the box, but people that I know personally say otherwise.

2. I want to begin selling cakes eventually and to do that, would it be ok to use the ones in the box or should I make from scratch if I want to sell?

3. I saw white icing in a big bucket but for some reason it didn't seem to excite me. LOL, for some reason I got the impression that it would be nasty tasting! Has anyone ever tried the icing in the big white bucket? I think I saw it at Michaels.

4. If I make icing from scratch, would it be safe to store it in a big bucket or would I need to use it all within a few days?

5. What do you use to mix your cake batter? I don't know the name of it but there's something that I've seen, an electrical item that stirs very quickly. Is that what you all use or do you use a big spoon?

6. If I make from scratch, is it better to use regular flour or cake flour?

7. Does it make a difference as to whether I use butter, margarine, or cooking oil? Or do they all work the same?

Hello, I do not sell cakes but only do as a hobby. As far as box verses made from scratch, some people can not tell the difference. Ever since they downsized the cake boxes, I have started doing my cakes from scratch. My favorite chocolate cake is from the back of the Hershey's cocoa can. Everyone in my family that wants chocolate is always requesting that I make it the same way as last year. Even those who normally hated chocolate cake love that recipe. It is so moist and delicious.

As for the icing in the buckets, there are plenty of people who use it but I prefer to make my own. To me, there is no comparison between homemade icing and made from scratch cakes. If you make your own icing, you can always freeze it and it will last until you make the next cake. am not sure how long it keeps in freezer but I use it within the next month when someone's birthday rolls around. I take it out and thaw it and it works perfectly. You can also freeze your cakes and they taste like the day you made them. Normally, if a cake recipe calls for baking powder you use self rising cake flour. Most recipes will state which flour to use. Some will call for cake flour. It depends on the recipe used. Do a taste test and make both a box cake and a made from scratch cake and have people in your family compare them without telling them which is which. Some can not tell the difference and others can. The box cakes have a lot of preservatives and chemicals in them.

Use the search button at the top right hand of this site and type in anything you want to know about.They have some really good information about any topic you need. It is very informative. Also you can type in You Tube then type in cake decorating, cake flowers, butter cream icing flowers, etc and you will find a lot of videos showing how to make a variety of flowers with butter cream and also several recipes for cakes, icings, etc. As with all cake decorating, it takes practice, practice and more practice. The more you practice the better you will become. Good luck, Hopefully, the experts on this site will chime in and tell you some more valuable information.

Hi, I am fairly new to cakes and I have a slew of questions. Please answer any that you can.

5. What do you use to mix your cake batter? I don't know the name of it but there's something that I've seen, an electrical item that stirs very quickly. Is that what you all use or do you use a big spoon?

AWell...you're in the right place to learn. Just out of curiosity, how did you decide that selling cakes would be a good idea for you? Just wondering how someone figures that out before knowing what a mixer even is. Really just curious is all. Did you start watching Cake Boss and it looked fun?

Well...you're in the right place to learn. Just out of curiosity, how did you decide that selling cakes would be a good idea for you? Just wondering how someone figures that out before knowing what a mixer even is. Really just curious is all. Did you start watching Cake Boss and it looked fun?

I'm curious too...in order to sell cakes you have to be insanely talented, or have worked your butt off to become experienced. Most people that do it have dreamed of it for most of their lives. Making cakes isn't a walk in the park. There's so many tricks and little things that you need to know in order to create something beautiful. And please don't use box mix...cringe.

I've never had a single client say "oh and can you bake that from a box? I just adore that pre-packaged taste". People want quality, not a box mix. But I do weddings and high end events.

Anything else you'd like to criticize?

I'm not criticizing what you do. You are misleading OP by giving your OPINION about what they should do and making it sound like it's "a must" when there are alternative choices other than your way. It appears OP is very inexperienced and may take all advice literally as the law rather than a suggestion. Future viewers should be aware it's just an opinion.

Well...you're in the right place to learn. Just out of curiosity, how did you decide that selling cakes would be a good idea for you? Just wondering how someone figures that out before knowing what a mixer even is. Really just curious is all. Did you start watching Cake Boss and it looked fun?

Yes I've always been interesting in baking. That's something that I've been thinking of since I was a child. When I made cakes growing up I used a big spoon but when I got to this country I saw that item that you call a mixer.

Hi, I am fairly new to cakes and I have a slew of questions. Please answer any that you can.

1. Is it cheaper to make cakes from scratch or buy them boxed? I read on a thread on this forum that it's cheaper from the box, but people that I know personally say otherwise.

2. I want to begin selling cakes eventually and to do that, would it be ok to use the ones in the box or should I make from scratch if I want to sell?

3. I saw white icing in a big bucket but for some reason it didn't seem to excite me. LOL, for some reason I got the impression that it would be nasty tasting! Has anyone ever tried the icing in the big white bucket? I think I saw it at Michaels.

4. If I make icing from scratch, would it be safe to store it in a big bucket or would I need to use it all within a few days?

5. What do you use to mix your cake batter? I don't know the name of it but there's something that I've seen, an electrical item that stirs very quickly. Is that what you all use or do you use a big spoon?

6. If I make from scratch, is it better to use regular flour or cake flour?

7. Does it make a difference as to whether I use butter, margarine, or cooking oil? Or do they all work the same?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewToThis305

English is not my first language so I don't know a lot of words so no I did not know that, for your information.

Listen I did not come here to argue with anyone but I do know that every forum has people who sit around just to argue and attack people because they have nothing better to do with their lives. My teachers did not teach me anything about baking so I was never told the word "mixer" but who cares? People come here to read about baking not to read about what English lessons someone learned. I'm not replying to you anymore so find someone else to pick a fight with.

for clarification, it's my opinion that cakes to be sold should be made from scratch. In my experience of almost 14 years, the majority of customers turn up their noses at box cakes (why spend a fortune on something they can easily make at home). Also, when baking from scratch, it's best to follow to recipe EXACTLY until you know what you're doing. There's a saying: baking is a science, cooking is an art. The ingredients in the batter all react together to make the final product. The only thing that can be substituted in a recipe is the fat content in milk. Also, adding zest and extracts to stable batters is okay too. If you begin to advertise that you are selling cakes, you will need a business license and will need to work out of a licensed kitchen. There are so many things you need to know. It is best to take a Sanitation and Safety course at your local college, if they provide it. This will prep you for preparing your kitchen for inspection. Also, YouTube is your best friend. When I first started out, I knew no one. I learned almost everything from online classes, research, and YouTube videos. But keep in mind, you will mess up. Things will go wrong, a lot. But keep researching, ask questions, write down what you did and what the end result was every time. And don't market or sell ANYTHING until you have that product PERFECT. Your worst enemy is an unhappy customer that talks too much. If you have any more questions, I have tons and tons and TONS of answers. Just private message me :)

for clarification, it's my opinion that cakes to be sold should be made from scratch. In my experience of almost 14 years, the majority of customers turn up their noses at box cakes (why spend a fortune on something they can easily make at home). Also, when baking from scratch, it's best to follow to recipe EXACTLY until you know what you're doing. There's a saying: baking is a science, cooking is an art. The ingredients in the batter all react together to make the final product. The only thing that can be substituted in a recipe is the fat content in milk. Also, adding zest and extracts to stable batters is okay too. If you begin to advertise that you are selling cakes, you will need a business license and will need to work out of a licensed kitchen. There are so many things you need to know. It is best to take a Sanitation and Safety course at your local college, if they provide it. This will prep you for preparing your kitchen for inspection. Also, YouTube is your best friend. When I first started out, I knew no one. I learned almost everything from online classes, research, and YouTube videos. But keep in mind, you will mess up. Things will go wrong, a lot. But keep researching, ask questions, write down what you did and what the end result was every time. And don't market or sell ANYTHING until you have that product PERFECT. Your worst enemy is an unhappy customer that talks too much. If you have any more questions, I have tons and tons and TONS of answers. Just private message me

Really, now I don't even want to do this anymore...LOL, thanks for telling me this because I had no idea. This seems to be a long process and a lot of steps to take. Not as easy as I thought. Very glad that I came to this forum. I never would have known.